In a conference call discussing Conference USA expansion, commissioner Britton Banowsky refused to discuss or acknowledge rumors that New Mexico State or Western Kentucky were being considered for admission to the league.

"I don't know where those reports got started and I'm not going to speculate on it," he said in the teleconference today welcoming Middle Tennessee State and Florida Atlantic to the changing league.

With regard to the recent round of realignment, which began with the Big 10 adding Maryland and Rutgers and eventually trickling down to the Big East grabbing Tulane and East Carolina from Conference USA, Banowsky said, "It's a big fabric, and when you start ripping the fabric, when you start putting stress on the fabric, things separate and it's hard to keep it woven together.

REPORTER

Bret Bloomquist

When it's not woven tightly, that's not good for the entire United States."